EARTH CITY, Mo.—Sam Bradford has shown noticeable improvement across the board as he closes out his third NFL season. Depending on how things go in the St. Louis Rams' season finale against Seattle, he could finish with career bests in completion percentage, touchdown passes and passer rating.

He is throwing the deep ball better than he ever has, developing a chemistry with rookie Chris Givens. Although he'll never be confused for a scrambler, Bradford is using his legs more to run out of trouble and gain an occasional first down. In Sunday's 28-13 victory over Tampa Bay, Bradford even avoided a sack, ending a stretch of 30 consecutive games in which he was sacked at least once—the longest such streak in the NFL.

Can Sam Bradford develop into a franchise quarterback? Next season will tell the story. (AP Photo)

With his improvement has come more team success. At 7-7-1, the Rams have a chance for their first winning season since 2003 if they can spring an upset in Seattle, a team St. Louis beat 19-13 earlier this season. For a franchise that won only 15 of 80 games over the previous five seasons, these are big strides. And for Bradford, the harsh memories of a disastrous 2-14 season in 2011—when he was bothered by a nagging high-ankle injury—are fading.

With a new head coach in Jeff Fisher and a new offensive coordinator in Brian Schottenheimer, Bradford, 25, has gotten his career back on track. But does the former No. 1 overall draft pick—who received a six-year, $78 million contract before he played an NFL game—look like a franchise quarterback? Not yet.

"Obviously, I would like to be playing my best each week," said Bradford, who has 20 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and a passer rating of 83.2 this season. "But I think sometimes you've got to take a step back and look at it. It's my third year, but at the same time, it's the first year in this offense. We're a young team, we're a young offense. We've experienced some growing pains this year, but I think overall we've improved as the year's gone on and that's all you can ask for. We're going to keep improving and keep getting better."

Bradford has had a new coordinator in each of his first three seasons in the NFL, going from Pat Shurmur as a rookie in 2010 to Josh McDaniels last season to Schottenheimer this season. Learning a new scheme, complete with a new language every year is a tough adjustment—not to mention getting to know the personality of a new coordinator and learning to work with him.

So there has been no continuity and not a ton of talent around him either. You don't lose 65 out of 80 games on a fluke. It takes a total organizational failure, and the lack of playmakers and top-line blockers on offense have taken a toll—on the team, on Bradford's body and on his reputation.

But the Rams' expectations for Bradford remain high. When you're a No. 1 overall pick, it's the way of the world.

"This isn't just Sam—it's across the board," linebacker James Laurinaitis said. "If you're a first-round pick people expect you should be automatic Pro Bowlers—that's the expectation level now. He came in, he played very well as a rookie. We all know his second season injuries limited what he could do. The lockout, all that stuff. And then we have another offensive coordinator."

As for playmakers, the Rams selected two wide receivers—Givens and Brian Quick—in last spring's draft. Givens has enjoyed a good rookie year, making a reception of 50 or more yards in five consecutive games—the first time that's been done in the NFL since Pat Studstill in 1966—in the first half of the season. But Quick has been a disappointment, developing much slower than expected and producing only 11 catches.

Early in the season, Danny Amendola looked like a potential No. 1-type receiver, dominating a couple of games with his quickness and underrated speed. But collarbone and foot injuries cost him five games, and he has not made it to the second half in three others. So Bradford's supporting cast remains questionable.

Nonetheless, for a fan base watching the exploits of rookies Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson every week, their patience is growing thin. There are games where Bradford seems on the verge of a breakout. And games where he has trouble finding a rhythm, much less an open receiver.

"I know, in Sam's mind, the main thing is wins," Schottenheimer said. "We all want to win. … There's certainly a lot of room for him to grow. I think he's got a much greater feel for the offense now. But I think the arrow's pointing up. Give him a little bit more time in his progression as a young quarterback, and I think that he'll be a top-flight player."

There is no angst in the organization about passing on RG3 in the draft, in essence trading away that pick to Washington for three first-rounders and a second-rounder. One of the main reasons Fisher took the Rams' job over Miami's offer was Bradford. As the front office continues to restock and rebuild the franchise, it will have two first-round picks in both the 2013 and 2014 drafts as a result of the trade with the Redskins.

And for all the hype over RG3, much of it justified, Bradford won his head-to-head matchup with Griffin earlier this season. Given RG3's running style and how he's used in the Washington offense, one has to wonder how his body will hold up long-term. Already this season, he's had concussion and knee issues, missing one game.

As for Bradford, the 2013 season will be very important. He will finally have back-to-back seasons in the same offensive system—assuming Schottenheimer doesn't get a head coach job elsewhere—and the NFL's youngest roster in 2012 will have a year of experience under its belt.

After a very good offseason entering 2012—both in free agency and the draft—Fisher and general manager Les Snead will try to come up with more help for Bradford this coming offseason.